Lesson 12

March 17 - 23

Prayers for the Church: Paul

Sabbath Afternoon
March 17

ROME, A.D. 62. THE TYRANT NERO IS ON THE THRONE.
The palace seethes with vice, intrigue, and murder. Not
far away is a house where a prisoner sits chained to a palace guard. Friends
and visitors come and go, encouraging him, listening to his instructions,
and bearing letters from him to believers in other parts of the empire.

If we were to visit, we might expect to see a man sitting in the gloom, pondering
his fate, agonizing over whether he will be executed or released. Instead,
he is writing to other Christians about being alive and joyful in Christ.
He also is praying for them that they will apply Christ's salvation-His
immeasurable grace-to their lives. What kind of experience is this? How can
we learn more about it?

MEMORY TEXT:
"God raised us up with Christ and
seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that
in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed
in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus"
(Ephesians
2:6, 7, NIV).

Sunday March 18

Some people think the Christian church in the days of the apostles was ideal.
Actually, it was not all that different from our churches today. The church
at Ephesus, for example, had its problems. Paul's letters to Timothy indicate
that the church contained false teachers, apostates, idlers, and busybodies
(1
Tim. 1:6, 7, 20;
5:13).
He warned the elders of Ephesus that "grievous wolves" would infiltrate the
church, drawing away disciples after themselves
(Acts
20:29, 30). The church of Ephesus then rooted out heresy so vigorously
that it became a loveless congregation
(Rev.
2:1, 2, 4, 6). Such experiences are typical of the real church. In his
letter to the Ephesians, however, Paul shows a view of the ideal church that
astonishes us.

What were Paul's circumstances when he wrote the book of Ephesians? See
the SDA Bible Dictionary, p. 333, "Ephesians, Epistle to the."

After being arrested and kept in custody for two years, Paul appealed to
Caesar for justice and was sent to Rome as a prisoner. For two more years,
he was under house arrest, chained to a soldier-a trying time for the aged
apostle
(Philem.
9, 10). He was tried before Nero and acquitted but later re-arrested,
confined to a dungeon, and then beheaded. (See the article "Paul" in the
SDA Bible Dictionary.)

What is Paul's mood as he writes this letter? List the blessings he specifies.
Eph.
1:3-10.

In the midst of persecution with the prospect of execution, Paul still looks
beyond his earthly circumstances to the heavenly realms in Christ. Instead
of worrying over his fate, he is reveling in blessings he describes in
exceptional terms-riches that God lavishes on those who accept Him.

Monday March 19

Paul has caught a vision not only of the rich blessings God has lavished
on His people
(vss.
3-10) but also of how richly blessed God's people themselves are. He
tries to explain this in
verses
15-23.

Upon hearing of their faith in Christ and their love for one another, Paul
expresses exuberant thanks for the saints in Ephesus
(vss.
15, 16). He remembers them daily in prayer, no doubt asking God to help
them continue their spiritual growth. For only as any person in any age draws
closer and closer to the Savior can that person become more and more like
Him.

Paul's concept of the church is so magnificent we need special help to
comprehend it. What does he pray God will do for us to help us understand?

Look at the three things that Paul prays we will especially understand.
Eph.
1:18, 19.

1. "The hope to which he has called you"
(v.
18, NIV).
Colossians
1:27, written about the same time, sheds light on his thought. "The hope
of glory" is "Christ in you." Having Christ in our lives now is a foretaste
of the glory of the future.

2. "The riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints" is the literal
translation. Paul mentions two inheritances in Ephesians, ours and God's
(1:14).
Our inheritance is all the blessings Paul lists in
1:3-14.
Conversely, we are God's possession
(1:14)
and Jesus' inheritance
(vs.
18). Jesus looks at us and recognizes that we are "the riches of His
glorious inheritance." Are we, though, all that glorious? Paul's next point
explains.

3. "His incomparably great power for us who believe" (NIV). "God's
mighty power is displayed in the transformation of a sinner into a saint.
This remarkable change is not accomplished by psychology, education, or good
works; it is an act of divine grace and power."The SDA Bible
Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1004:19, "Power."

How does one explain the gap between the great promises given the church
and the reality of the church as it exists? How does one explain the
gap between the great promises given individuals and the reality that often
exists? We know where the fault lies. The question is, How do
we remedy it?

Tuesday March 20

God's power to work in our lives is tremendous and immeasurable
(vs.
19). To demonstrate how great that power is, Paul shows what it accomplished
in the life of Christ.
(Eph.
1:19, 20).
1. God raised Him from the dead.
2. God seated Him at His right hand in heavenly places.

Christ's resurrection proves that no matter what humans may do, they cannot
prevent God's purpose from being fulfilled. In our frantic and frenzied world,
we can remain calm knowing that God is in control.

Psalm
110:1 foretold this event: " 'Sit at my right hand until I make your
enemies a footstool for your feet' "(NIV). Compare
1
Corinthians 15:24, 25;
Hebrews
1:3. The principalities, powers, dominions, and names that Paul mentions
include His enemies, the forces of evil, both earthly and satanic
(Eph.
6:12). Paul was suffering from the tyranny of Rome, but Jesus was above
Rome. The name of Nero that made armies tremble was a "paper tiger" compared
to the name of Jesus.

What significance does Jesus' exaltation have for the church?
Eph.
1:21-23.

God gave Jesus, as head over all things, to the church, which is His body
(literal translation). When Christ is exalted, His body, the church, is exalted,
too. When Christ is seated in heavenly places, His body, the church, is seated
in heavenly places with Him. Paul adds the staggering statement that the
church is the fullness of Christ!
(Eph.
1:23). No wonder we need a special revelation to comprehend the glory
of the church!
(vss.
17-19).

How can you use these wonderful promises to help those struggling with
sin or with addictions?

How can you help a person make these promises real and personal?
What is the key to latching hold of these promises and making them
work changes in your life?

The life lived apart from Christ is ugly indeed. It took the same resurrection
power to raise us from death in sin as it did to raise Christ from death
on account of our sins. Raised from death, we become "a new creation"
(2
Cor. 5:17).

What does it mean to be seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus? Is this
not a future privilege reserved for eternity when we will sit with Him on
His throne?
(Rev.
3:21). Here is another example of "present eschatology," when the blessings
of the future invade the present in spiritual form. (Review
lesson 10.) Bodily, Paul was in prison awaiting
trial by a cruel tyrant. Mentally, he was praising God for every spiritual
blessing in heavenly places
(Eph.
1:3).

Paul is amazed that God would raise fallen sinners and exalt them so high.
How does he describe God's grace in
verses
4-9?

When a friend gives you a gift, you do not ask that person how much you owe
him or her. Yet many Christians, when they receive the gift of Christ's
salvation, feel or believe that there is still something they must do to
earn that gift. Paul talks about "the incomparable riches"
(2:7,
NIV) of God's grace. Nothing we could ever do would equal such a gift. We
are to do with it what we would do with any giftaccept it gracefully,
enjoy it to the fullest, and share it with others through traditional witnessing
activities and acts of service.

How do you explain to someone just what "grace" is? What analogies
can you use to show how futile salvation by works is and that salvation must
be a gift, unmerited and unearned?

Thursday March 22

Paul concludes his vision of the ideal church with one of the most sublime
prayers in the Bible. After describing God's family
(Eph.
2:11-22), he pours out his soul, asking Him to do stupendous things for
themHis church.

"For this reason I kneel before the Father"
(3:14,
NIV). Normally, the Jewish attitude of prayer was standing with hands
outstretched and palms upward
(Mark
11:25). However, Paul's prayer is not the ordinary, incidental prayer
inspired by a passing feeling or thought. His desire for the church is so
deliberate and passionate that He kneels before God in solemn humility and
pleads with Him to grant his request.

Paul proceeds to pray for the Ephesians to receive power through Christ's
Holy Spirit. For what reasons does Paul desire the Ephesians to have this
power?

Paul speaks of the Spirit and of Jesus coming to make their home with us
as Jesus promised in
John
14:16-18 and 23. Though the power of God is constantly at work in every
breath and heartbeat of our lives, Paul wants the Spirit to penetrate further
into the "inner being" of our minds. Then we will be "strengthened with power."

To receive this power, we must first have deep roots (like a tree) and a
firm foundation (like a building) based on love
(Eph.
3:17). Second, we must experience this power "with all the saints." We
cannot fully grasp it on our own. It comes to the church as a body.

Once we have the Holy Spirit's power, we can begin to know something that
surpasses knowledge-the width, length, height, and depth of Christ's love.

"God so loved the world" is the breadth of His love. "That He gave His only
begotten Son" is the length of it. "That whosoever [the lowest sinner] believeth
in Him" is the depth of it. "Should . . . have everlasting life" is the height
of it
(John
3:16).

What does prayer do to us that allows these promises to become real
in our lives?

Friday March 23

Paul's prayer staggers the imagination. It is a field for deep and prolonged
meditation. Notice all that God wants us to take into our inner beings: His
power, His Spirit, Jesus, the four dimensions of Jesus' love, and the fullness
of God.

The conclusion is no less astounding. After making such boundless requests,
he says that God is able to do "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine"!
(NIV). There is no limit to what His power can do for us. This is Paul's
vision of "glory in the church and in Christ Jesus" forever and ever!
(vs.
21).

After Paul's trip into the heights of the glory of the ideal church
(Eph.
1-3), Paul descends to the real church in the world below. Read
chapters
4 through 6 to see how living in heavenly places translates into life
in this world. Jot down the counsels that are relevant to your life.

If Paul were your prayer partner, how might his prayer for the Ephesians
influence your prayer life?

3.

Paul included prayers in his letters to the churches. Can you
include prayers in your correspondence and contact with others? In
what other ways can you approach your prayer life more creatively?

SUMMARY: Paul's great prayers,
as recorded in the letter to the Ephesians, teach us that the church is the
body of Christ, a part of His being, infused with His blood and breath and
life. To be a part of it is the greatest privilege and honor given to human
beings.

The Stranger Who Came to Town, Part 1

J. H. Zachary

INDIAPastor Jesurathnam Baka was assigned to work in a remote area
of India north of Madras (Chennai). As he walked from village to village,
young people crowded around him, curious about a stranger who had come to
visit them.

But when Pastor Baka told them that he had come to bring them Jesus Christ,
the villagers answered, "We already have three village gods. There is no
place for your God in our village." Still the people were curious about this
stranger. "Please tell us a story," they begged.

The stories Pastor Baka told them about Jesus touched their hearts, and they
asked him to stay. Pastor Baka stayed in the village for 20 days and taught
the people about Jesus. The stories led to Bible studies and seasons of prayer.

Pastor Baka walked to the next village, where he found a group of children
playing marbles under a tamarind tree. He bent over and joined them in their
game until a village man saw him. "What are you doing here?" the man asked.

"I have come to bring Jesus Christ to your village," he answered.

The village man told Pastor Baka, "If Jesus is a God, we have no place for
Him here. You should leave at once." As Pastor Baka silently prayed for wisdom,
one boy said, "Wait! Samuel worships your God. I will go call him!" The boy
ran off to find Samuel.

Soon Samuel arrived. "Sir, this is a wonderful day!" Samuel said. "I have
prayed for five years that God would send someone to teach us about Jesus.
The people here worship a man-god. How can we tell them about the living
God?"

Pastor Baka asked Samuel to invite the villagers to a worship service that
evening. At sunset a crowd of curious villagers gathered to see the stranger
and learn how Christians worship their God. Children scooted close for a
better view. Pastor Baka talked about God and His love for them. Then he
announced that he would hold public meetings.

Nearly two hundred people came night after night to study and learn about
God. When the pastor invited those who wanted to follow Jesus to prepare
for baptism, several came forward.

However, Satan was determined that these people who had lived in darkness
for so long would not escape to Christ without a struggle.

(continued next week)

J. H. Zachary is coordinator of international evangelism for The Quiet
Hour and a special consultant for the General Conference Ministerial
Association.

Produced by the Office of MissionSabbath School-Personal Ministries Department of the General
ConferenceE-mail:
gomission@gc.adventist.org